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This rash of carbuncles
Robert Jobson, Royal Correspondent31 Jan 2008
Prince Charles has gone to war with Mayor Ken Livingstone over the London skyline.
In an extraordinary outburst Charles criticised the Mayor's policy of encouraging the building of skyscrapers.
He claimed the capital was under threat of being "vandalised" and faced ending up with a "pockmarked skyline".
Echoing his famous "monstrous carbuncle" comment in May 1984, about a proposed extension to the National Gallery, the Prince warned of: "Not just one carbuncle, ladies and gentlemen, on the face of a much loved old friend, but a positive rash of them that will disfigure precious views and disinherit future generations of Londoners."
His stance conflicts with that of the Mayor, who has predicted that one skyscraper will be built every year, and there will be up to 20 tall buildings in the capital by 2015. The Prince spoke out at a building and planning conference at St James's Palace.
He said: "For some unaccountable reason we seem to be determined to vandalise these few remaining sites which retain the kind of human scale and timeless character that so attract people to them, and which increase in value as time goes by. Thus, in chasing the corporate tenant or buy-to-let investor, we may not only be destroying our heritage, but killing the goose that lays the golden egg, for we will destroy what makes our cities and towns so attractive to tourists in the process."
He suggested Canary Wharf was the best place for high-rise blocks, rather than locations where they overshadowed historic buildings.
He highlighted Berlin, where the authorities have restricted the height of new buildings. This approach could "help to achieve a far more coherent sense of harmony and civic self confidence than the free-for-all that will leave London and our other cities with a pockmarked skyline," he said.
In October 2006 Mr Livingstone said: "If you want to build a tall building, as long as you've got a world class design and it is one of two locations we will go along with it. When I was elected you had two tall buildings.
"I think you've now got nine and by 2015 you'll have perhaps 19 to 20. You're talking about one a year." Charles has blasted architects and town planners in the past for having a "cavalier attitude". His charity, The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, aims to improve quality of life through good planning and design. Its mission statements says: "We believe that if we can apply time-tested principles, building once more in a sustainable way, we will reap improvements in public health, in livelier and safer streets and in a more affordable lifestyle.
"We believe neighbourhoods exhibiting these sustainable characteristics will accrue higher value over time."
Charles was speaking today at the New Buildings In Old Places conference, in his role as president of the foundation and of The Prince's Regeneration Trust.
Reader views (12)
Yes we have heard it before in the book 'A Vision of Britain' and Betjeman before. Yes we can all see the problems, they are obvious but a romantic rural ideolgy rubber-stamped onto the Urban will never be a marriage made in heaven, what a waste of space the 'garden suburbs' for the lucky few turned out to be. Rural Britain should be protected from sprawl, most agree with that, we also need more environmentally aware buildings that retain our standards of living and provide adeqaute space for work and for housing our expanding population of singles and couples, who now fill decent family homes instead. Towers are part of the solution. Most young people would be happy to live in a smart affordable tower in the centre. The suburbs too should offer them but look at the hysteria they are greeted by from the lucky few who plastered the countryside in tarmac and brick. Our ancestors left us with the much adored Cathedral City and the village church which served their needs, now please let us have our turn, isn't it so hypocritical that we call foul over height? Positive critism is the way forward, making sure that tall is elegant and fits well on the ground, like a church spire, not a witch hunt. And please leave out the nonsense about Bob the Mayor building towers, they are a product of out time, providing solutions to todays problems and are crafted in the image that we want to stamp on our urban realm, just makes sure its a good one.
- B Marsden, London, 01/02/2008 15:19
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I think it's important to take as little notice of the Prince as possible. He's welcome to have his say, as long as people don't fall into the trap of thinking his opinions carry any more weight than any other citizen of this country.
Ken's opinions matter because he has executive power, and I can help to remove him from office if I want. The Prince has absolutely no power at all, and neither I or anyone else voted for him.
The Prince is tolerable as a kind of circus side show, but only if you take no notice of what he says.
- Dave, Barking, 01/02/2008 12:04
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Well, I'm not a fan of tall buildings, but clearly HRH hasn't a clue about London that has 32 boroughs,all planning these changes.
I would join his protest if he would forego enough of his land in Cornwall and in Gloucestershire and wherever else to allow developers to provide affordable, eco-friendly housing for those people in need of housing in London. The reality is that high-rise is the best ecological way to provide housing.
- Eric Ray, london,UK, 01/02/2008 11:43
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I am amazed by how Londoners visit beautiful Italian cities, and gasp at the beauty of the architecture, then return home to spoil their own city.
- Mark Wright, Verona, Italy, 01/02/2008 10:48
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I agree with Prince Charles. Don't create more faceless concrete canyons where the sun doesn't penetrate. Need a new office block - move out to the suburbs where most of the workers live. Make their commute shorter and therefore more carbon friendly. And as for making the streets safer, look at Melbourne's high-rise council housing. A veritable hot-bed of crime. Bored, disenfranchised youth seeking an outlet, drugs are rife and distribution gangs fight with knives and samurai swords over 'territory'.
Mr Livingstone would do well to talk with Prince Charles and heed his advice. Prince Charles will go down in history as a voice to preserve the character and beauty of London - a city so full of precious history that the developers are so eager to knock down for 30 pieces of silver!
A word to Prince Charles - Go get 'em, tiger!
- Ian Heritage, Melbourne, Australia, 31/01/2008 21:42
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Quite honestly, I'd be ashamed to be the Prince
of Wales when Wales itself needs so much aid
and assistance and isn't receiving it. (The latest:
youth suicides).
- Frank, Chaingmai TH, 31/01/2008 20:54
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I totally agree with Prince Charles and I have always thought that we can erase our own history if we are not careful. New tall buildings makes the city look too modern and ugly. We are the masters of our own destruction.
- Richard, Chicago,USA, 31/01/2008 18:51
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And how does Prince Charles propose housing the future growth of London's working and living population without building outwards onto the Greenbelt? We can no longer build outwards, we have to build upwards. And as long as it is done with flair and world class designs as is happening with designs such as the Gherkin and the proposed Shard and Cheese grater, what's the problem?
- Darren, London, 31/01/2008 18:04
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I like a lot of the new buildings, including the Gherkin, mayors office etc, but Charles seems to prefer the ultra-reactionary, elitist paradise he created in Poundberry. Urrgh. Horrid. Give me council estates and high rises any day.
- D Thurley, London, 31/01/2008 18:00
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Oye Charlie,
Do yourself a favour (and the rest of us too) and vote OUT Ken Livingstone at the forthcoming mayoral election. It may have been a time for a change in London's skyline but it's NOW definitely time for a change in London's Mayor!
P.S. Don't give Ken too much of a hard time before he goes otherwise he's likely to set up 3 or 4 think-tanks on the skyline matter costing Londoners many millions of £'s, which could be put to far better use.
- Fraser, Telford Park, 31/01/2008 17:43
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Well we have had HRH's views on architecture,art,medicine,the environment,foods,and pretty much everything you can think of really.As monarch-in-waiting he would do well to keep his views to himself because the opinions of a man who lives in a cocoon of wealth,privelige,and isolation are not of the slightest relevance,only he thinks they are.Bertie Wooster is alive and well and lives in Clarence House.
- John Bennett, Exeter,Devon, 31/01/2008 17:41
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"We believe that if we can apply time-tested principles, building once more in a sustainable way, we will reap improvements in public health, in livelier and safer streets and in a more affordable lifestyle."
I like to know how Charles proposes to make the streets safer. Now, that will be a real achievement for Londoners.
- V Tan, London, 31/01/2008 16:42
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